-LRB- CNN -RRB- In 1982 , songwriter San Bao fell in love with musical theater -- then an alien art form in China -- when he saw a videotaped version of CATS , which became the longest running musical in Broadway history .

Fast forward three decades , and San Bao , who has enjoyed a successful career writing pop songs and helming music production at the Beijing Olympics , wants to make home-grown musicals to rival some of Andrew Lloyd Webber 's biggest hits .

`` This is what I want -- a real musical with Chinese characteristics , '' he told CNN .

San Bao has made seven musicals since 2005 and his latest `` Nie Xiaoqian and Ning Caichen '' -- currently on tour in China -- draws on a collection of supernatural tales written during the early Qing Dynasty .

Underwritten by government funding , none of his musicals has yet made a profit , let alone smashed box-office records -- although a 2005 production called `` Butterflies '' made it to South Korean stages in a 2008 tour .

`` It takes time for people to appreciate this art form , '' said San Bao .

`` Ten years ago , nobody in China would spend money buying a movie ticket , but now ? People do n't talk about what movies they watched but about which ones they missed . ''

READ MORE : Shanghai Culture Plaza : Building Asia 's Broadway

Rave reviews

Some Broadway shows have captivated Chinese audiences . French revolution epic `` Les Miserables '' was a hit when it debuted in Shanghai in 2002 .

More recently , a Chinese-language version of `` Mamma Mia ! '' that toured in August 2011 grossed 20 million yuan -LRB- $ 3.2 million -RRB- in less than a month and according to the China Daily , a 2013 production of `` The Phantom of the Opera '' sold out five months before its premiere .

But high ticket prices mean these shows reach a limited audience , and it 's typically only the most accessible Broadway hits that resonate with a Chinese audience , says Zhou Yinchen , the head of the Folk Music and Musical Research Center at Peking University 's Academy of Arts .

'' ` Mamma Mia ! ' is entertaining , that 's why Chinese accept it , '' she says . `` Of course there are other Broadway musicals but it 's only those with the highest entertainment value work in China , '' she adds .

Nonetheless , the rave reviews audiences have given to these shows make musical producers like San Bao confident that combining Broadway showmanship with Chinese plot lines will one day result in a sure-fire hit .

Cartoon character

As well as China 's imperial past , San Bao has also made shows about a Chinese cartoon character similar to Tintin , and the Chinese Communist Party 's Long March -- a 6,000 mile journey that helped cement Mao Zedong 's stature as a great leader .

San Bao says one of the biggest challenges he faces is the dearth of all-round performers .

Few Chinese actors and actresses have equally strong singing and dancing skills that musical theater requires , he said .

And while China does offer some undergraduate courses in musical theater , these departments are relatively new and the level of expertise is not deep .

Xu Luyang , a classical music critic , also says that musical productions often ca n't afford the high pay necessary to attract top talent .

`` The musical industry is China is still immature , '' he said .

Rather than continuing to rely on the government 's largesse , San Bao says he is looking for investors to fund his next project and hopes that will give him freer creative rein .

`` The reason why I produce musicals and will keep doing it is because I like it very much . ''

READ MORE : ` Spin ' : Chinese musicals take center stage

Serena Dong reported from Beijing , Katie Hunt wrote from Hong Kong .

@highlight

China has no musical theater tradition , although musicals like `` Mamma Mia ! '' have been big hits

@highlight

San Bao wants to combine Broadway showmanship with Chinese plot lines

@highlight

He 's produced seven musicals since 2005 and his latest is on tour